Sunday, August 27
- 9:30am NSMC Hybrid Worship (please note change from CCMC to NSMC for August 27)
- Peacemakers Walk Toward Conflict
Wednesday, August 30
- Collaborative Worship Planning group meeting, planning for October (contact Anne for details on how to join the meeting)
Thursday, August 31
- 7:00pm Zoom Bible Study with Shane (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- We are doing a study of the gospel of John
Sunday, September 3
- 9:30am NSMC Hybrid Worship (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- Peacemakers Share the Bounty of the Earth
- Communion
- 11:00am Potluck
Tuesday, September 5
- 7:00pm Zoom ARCC (Action/Reflection Creation Care) meeting (contact Anne for details on how to join Zoom)
- We will discuss home repair and improvement decisions that help the environment
After a flexible summer, NSMC is returning to a regular schedule in September. Bible Study resumes on Thursday evenings with a study of the gospel of John. ARCC will have meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, starting with September 5. Please check the daily schedule above for the most current information.
If you are interested in contributing to worship planning, we invite you to join a collaborative worship planning group meeting on Wednesday, August 30 looking specifically at October. Anyone with an interest or a desire to help, please contact Anne for information on how to join the meeting.
On June 11, 2023, the congregation of Lombard (Illinois) Mennonite Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Emma Richards (1927-2014), the first Mennonite woman pastor to be ordained as a pastor of a Mennonite congregation in North America. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/celebrating-emma-richards
One of the many identity markers for being a Mennonite is hospitality and its culture. Reverend Erica Lea-Simka, pastor of Albuquerque Mennonite Church and southwest representative for Mennonite Women USA, proposes that hospitality and its meaning in Anabaptist culture can be examined more closely. Read more of her thoughts here: mennoniteusa.org/culture-of-hospitality
Intersectionality seeks “… to describe how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics ‘intersect’ with one another and overlap.” Joanne Gallardo, Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference co-minister, reflects on her own experiences within the Mennonite church, relating to intersectionality and tokenism. Read her reflections here: mennoniteusa.org/intersectionality-tokenism
As part of MC USA’s series on The Peace Table, the new storybook Bible from Shine, a children’s Sunday school curriculum, jointly published by MennoMedia and Brethren Press, Joan Daggett, project director for Shine: Living in God’s Light, shares her part of the journey to create The Peace Table. Read more here: mennoniteusa.org/judge-this-book-by-its-cover
God’s power and omnipresence is with us, even in the darkest of times. “To understand God’s omnipresence — not limited by space and time but existing everywhere in the past, present and future simultaneously — is to realize God is already living out tomorrow at this very moment,” reflects Wil LaVeist, Mennonite Mission Network’s senior executive of advancement. Read his story here: mennoniteusa.org/gods-omnipresence
–from Creation Justice Ministries 52 Ways to Care for Creation
Rest and Reflect
Leah Thomas writes, “we can’t save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people, especially those most often unheard.” What does this look like in your community? How can you help?
–from Creation Justice Tips | United Methodist Church
Be an Influencer
Put the sun to work. God provides renewable energy for all. Assess the possibilities you have, including solar for home, garage, business, and church rooftops, as well as and community-shares panels. If those are not available or feasible currently, begin planning for using solar or wind in the next few years. Know that when people see solar panels installed, they are more willing to try them too. Be an influencer.
Take Heart from Jeremiah
To God’s prophet Jeremiah, it seemed nobody was listening as he warned of impending doom. In the face of climate change, we too may feel ineffectual. Take heart from Jeremiah, who was faithful to his call from God to speak up. He trusted God and bought land as a sign of hope. Continue to do all you can and talk about your hopes for a more just and verdant future.
–from the Sierra Club
100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
- Organize a community project to fundraise and put solar panels on your local churches, government buildings, community centers, recreation centers, etc.
- Help emergency services in your area have solar, off-grid capabilities to continue functioning when the power goes off, e.g. hospital, waste treatment, groundwater pumps, water treatment plants, electricity at the disaster evacuation site, etc.
–from Ecocation
50 Ways to Save the Planet
- Ride your bike or walk.
- Avoid air travel.